They closed Market and Castro street and throngs came out.
Two thousand dead without trial , or even indictment, and they come out.
Bradley Manning still rotting, and they cmome out.
Every email and phone call stored for retreival for seven years, and they come out.
Medical marijuana clinics still raided , and they come out reveling.
Sixteen trillion in debt, and 22 percent unemploymment, and they come out.
I can understand relief that Mittens lost, but happiness.
Very disturbing.
I wonder if there were similar throngs in Berlin and Dusseldorf after the socialist victories in the early twenties?
What is your explanation for the Obama victory celebration?
I agree with you assessment of Obama's record and can't understand why anyone with critical thinking skills and knowledge of Obama's record can celebrate his victory.
I believe many of the Market-and-Castro street celebrants are pro-marijuana, as I am, yet they are cheering for a president who promised to leave medical marijuana dispensaries alone, yet has an anti-marijuana record that is worse than his Republican predecessor, who was an in-your-face drug warrior. Many of these celebrants rightfully, but insincerely, raised hell in the streets of San Francisco concerning Bush's War on Terror, yet they celebrate a president who has more blood on his hands than Bush. The battle cry against McCain was "It's the economy, stupid!" yet they celebrate a president who has done more harm to the economy than the party he ran against. While these confused, if not stupid and cruel, people are celebrating Obama, there was a time they had harsh criticism for Bush because of FEMA's slow response to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, at this very moment, people in the Northeast are without food, shelter, gas and clothing because of Hurricane Sandy, but now it's party time in the Castro and not one word against Obama's FEMA. Very disturbing, indeed.
perhaps it's that Obama is more likely to appoint federal judges, including US Supreme Court judges, who will be good on the very issues that Obama himself is bad on. The US Court of Appeals, DC circuit, is pondering whether to strike down the federal government's classification of marijuana. I say that Obama-appointed judges are better on such an issue, and better on civil liberties, than judges Romney would have appointed.
I predict that Obama will start edging in our direction on marijuana, especially after the thrilling wins for marijuana by the voters tonight.
I understand that purchasing marijuana for personal use in this town is easier than buying alcohol, so I fail to see the subject as an issue. It would not appear reasonable to believe Romney would have curtailed use of drones, or imperialism in general. Yes it is the economy! And as long as the freebies keep coming, liberal enclaves such as the Castro will keep celebrating the "giving and sharing" candidates and rejecting economic libertarianism.
I understand there was jubilation.
Maybe it was only symbolic of progress against anti-gay bigotry. I suspect there would be a significant distinction along those lines.
I like your statement: "Yes it is the economy! And as long as the freebies keep coming, liberal enclaves such as the Castro will keep celebrating the "giving and sharing" candidates and rejecting economic libertarianism." With this statement you've answered my question concerning why anyone would celebrate an Obama victory. But what these people don't seem to realize or care about is that sooner or later Santa Claus' bag will be empty and the economy will have been destroyed and their jobs will have been terminated. Please understand that my criticism of Obama and his supporters is not an endorsement for Romney.
I agree with you that purchasing marijuana in San Francisco is relatively easy, but my point is that Obama promised to leave the medical marijuana dispensaries alone, yet he has lead the charge in raiding and shutting many of them down throughout the state of California. Recently, in the Santa Rosa area, people who had legal permission to grow a few plants at home, in their backyards, were raided by swat teams who kicked down doors, ransacked their homes and took their plants. Now, many people are back in the streets buying from street dealers, not knowing exactly what they are getting in return for their money, and both parties risk imprisonment.
The whole point of medical marijuana, aside from it being sold legally, is that there are three main strains of marijuana: sativa, indica and hybrid. Each strain produces a different effect and each strain is used to treat different medical problems. When a person buys marijuana in the street, s/he has no guarntee which strain is being sold and has no guarantee that what is being sold isn't tainted with mould or an unwanted drug, much like the poisoned bathtub gin that did great harm to many people during alcohol prohibition.
Finally, the entrepreneurs who invested their life savings to open a dispensary that was shut down by Obama, lost their life savings; for this I damn Obama to Hell. Their investment was based, in part, on Obama's promise to leave medical marijuana a states' right issue.
I completely agree with you on both the real fiscal cliff and the insane drug war. However, I have always felt that as a political activist, I need to see voters' realities as well as my own. Based on my conversations with so many at events and tablings, I have come to believe that the "distant" cliff and drug laws are pretty far down the list of priorities of most voters. Additionally, I feel that in the case of the Castro (where our discussion started) the jubilation was an expression of the neighborhood'd emphasis on Gay freedom -- a subject hardly on Romney's good side!